About @LatrinaPatrick

Thanks for clicking the URL in my Twitter profile. I am a Certified Holistic Health Coach, AFAA Certified Group Fitness Instructor, and a Blogger.

This is my personal blog. It is focused on promoting the benefits of a plant-based diet. My mission is to help you see the benefits of incorporating more plant foods into your diet. In particular, how plant food Reduces the Onset of Cancer and Kills Sickness (ROCKS)!

I will consistently emphasize my three core beliefs: 1) Food is medicine, 2) a healthy lifestyle can be practical and incorporated seamlessly into your daily life, and 3) following a plant based diet is the simplest and best route to optimal health.

My Story

I have followed a vegan lifestyle for the past three years and it has changed my life. A simple shift in my diet has transformed me into a health conscious, environmentally friendly, spiritually connected being.

When I first began following a plant based diet I referred to myself as a vegan. But as I learned the true definition of a vegan, I realized that’s not me. In fact, my initial objective was to be the “anti-vegan”. Let me explain. My only view of a vegan was members of PETA, and as well intentioned as they are, I didn’t want to be considered radical and extreme.

In the beginning it was trial and error. My primary goal was to get off eggs and dairy products. I’d been a vegetarian for about a year, and for reasons I was unsure about, I decided to take it to the next level and go vegan. I started out with the intention to try it for at least two weeks, and if that went well then 30 days. I was very non-committal.

The first two weeks were hard and very enlightening. I began to read labels religiously, and unbeknownst to me I was still getting dairy in my diet. This was a shocker to me because I’d stopped drinking milk years before I became a vegetarian. Little did I know, there were so many items like granola bars and some flavors of potato chips that contained milk ingredients. So, as I tried to consume foods that were already in my diet, I soon found out many were off limits. I felt hungry all the time.

Since it took two weeks for me to get pass my frustration and minor withdrawal from dairy, I realized I needed to go the full 30 days and try it for real. Those last two weeks weren’t so bad, and I lost about 5-7 pounds without really trying. After completing 30 days it became a game to me. I wanted to see how long I could do it; eventually I passed the point of no return.

I have experimented with different things in my diet to see what works for me, including soy and honey. There is so much controversy around the consumption of soy; I tried it in various forms, and for the most part – it doesn’t work for me. After experimenting with Tempeh and Tofu, I’ve decided to exclude it from my diet. Another conflict for me was whether or not to consume honey. Imagine my surprise when someone told me that vegans didn’t eat honey. It was at that point I decided to draw the line. I refused to give up honey. As one of my friends likes to say, you have to decide how far down this rabbit hole of nutrition you want to go. For me, I stopped at honey. That’s when I decided this had to be about what worked for me and not about what I could or could not do because of how someone else defined me. That prompted my change in language. I realized I follow a plant based diet, but I’m not a textbook vegan. I don’t shop for vegan clothes, and I don’t force my friends and family to watch documentaries on factory farming. Although I must admit, it’s not a bad idea.

Through my evolution I have learned so much, and I HAVE to share it with you. That’s why I started this blog. This is my purpose. I’m committed to promoting the benefits of following a plant based diet and helping people make a successful transition to this lifestyle.

My Top Posts

If you are new to my site, you might want to start with my most popular posts. Here are my top five posts:

You can also check my blog’s archives for a list of every post I have written or use the search function in the sidebar to find other posts that might be of interest.

My Biography

I am a Certified Holistic Health Coach and AFAA Certified Group Fitness Instructor. I received my training as a Health Coach from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition(IIN).

During my training at IIN I studied over 100 diet theories, practical lifestyle management techniques, and innovative coaching methods with some of the world’s top health and wellness experts, including Dr. Andrew Weil, Director of the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine; Dr. Deepak Chopra, leader in the field of mind-body medicine; Dr. David Katz, Director of Yale University’s Prevention Research Center; Dr. Walter Willett, Chair of Nutrition at Harvard University; and many other leading researchers and nutrition authorities.

Prior to entering the Health & Wellness field, I consulted with nonprofit organizations to help them obtain grant funding. I have conducted dozens of grant writing workshops, as well as served as a grant reviewer for various state and federal agencies.

I also have an extensive background as a reporter. I worked as a news reporter for approximately 10 years. I mostly worked in TV news, but have also worked for radio and print.

I obtained my Bachelor of Arts Degree in Radio/TV/Film from Clark Atlanta University and my Masters Degree in Business Administration from Troy University in Phenix City, Alabama.

I was born and raised in Americus GA, and currently reside in a suburban area 35 miles north of Atlanta.

In my free time I enjoy hiking, meditating, trying new vegan friendly restaurants, and doing anything that gets me outdoors.